Online silence: why do people not challenge others when posting misinformation?

Abstract

PurposeThere is a scarcity of research studies on why people remain inactive when encountering and recognising misinformation online. The main aim of this paper is to provide a groundwork for future research into why users do not challenge misinformation on digital platforms by generating hypotheses through a synthesis of pertinent literature, including organisational behaviour, communication, human-computer interaction (HCI), psychology and education.Design/methodology/approachGiven the lack of directly related literature, this paper synthesised findings from relevant fields where the findings might be relevant, as the tendency to withhold opinions or feedback is a well-documented practice in offline interaction.FindingsFollowing the analysis of relevant literature, the potential reasons for online silence towards misinformation can be divided into six categories: self-oriented, relationship-oriented, others-oriented, content-oriented, individual characteristics and technical factors.Originality/valueAlthough corrections coming from peers can effectively combat misinformation, several studies showed that people in cyberspace do not take such action. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, there has been scarce and virtually non-existent research investigating why people refrain from challenging others who post misinformation online. Thus, this paper attempts to address this gap and identify reasons in adjacent domains. The reasons provide a starting point for researching interventions to reduce reluctance and abstinence regarding the challenge of misinformation. The findings can be beneficial beyond the area of challenging misinformation and are extensible to other types of content and communication that people are hesitant to discuss and challenge, such as online injustice, prejudice and hate speech.

Guest editorial: The social, ethical, economic and political implications of misinformation

“…The final theme relates to “combating misinformation” and deals with identifying the limits of individuals' willingness to fight misinformation, also proposing policy interventions to curb the phenomenon. The first paper (Gurgun et al , 2023) explores the motivations behind social media users' “online silence” when encountering misinformation. The author conducts a literature review and identifies six factors (i.e.…”

Can We Re-design Social Media to Persuade People to Challenge Misinformation? An Exploratory Study

“…Tone detector (Self-monitoring) Self-monitoring is one of the most popular persuasive strategies [45] and it helps people become more self-aware about their behavioural patterns [46] which also helps them to self-regulate [47]. One potential reason people do not challenge misinformation is that they want to avoid being viewed as aggressive [15]. A tone detector guides users to improve their self-awareness regarding how they sound to others, which would likely be helpful for those who are concerned about how their comments come across.…”

“…Studies on why people remain silent when they encounter misinformation indicate that users have interpersonal, intrapersonal and institutional concerns such as fear of being harassed, fear of conflict or lack of institutional support [10,14]. Gurgun et al [15] identified six reasons that might impact users' decisions to challenge others who post misinformation: self-oriented, relationship-oriented, others-oriented, content-oriented, individual characteristics, and technical factors. While it is necessary to overcome the barriers that hinder users from challenging misinformation, it is also worthwhile to design social media platforms that are more persuasive and encourage users to challenge misinformation.…”

Why Do We Not Stand Up to Misinformation? Factors Influencing the Likelihood of Challenging Misinformation on Social Media and the Role of Demographics

“…For example, we derived new items based on the framework developed by Milliken, Morrison and Hewlin [40]. The extensive investigation by Gurgun, Arden-Close, Phalp and Ali [31] about the potential barriers behind people's reluctance to challenge misinformation was the basis for our question items.…”

“…In this paper, we investigate why people avoid or skip challenging misinformation when they notice in the online environment. We assess the extent to which the barriers identified in Gurgun, Arden-Close, Phalp and Ali [31] apply in the context of social media use. We also grouped these barriers into four factors and investigate the influence of demographics on the likelihood to challenge.…”